Cognitive and affective reactions to social comparison

This study examined cognitive and affective responses to social comparison information in a sample of college freshmen (N = 143). We assessed participants' academic self-concepts and the certainty of their academic self-concepts prior to their exposure to information about a similar other, who either succeeded or failed academically. The results showed that students low in self-certainty reported higher academic self-appraisals following exposure to information about a student who failed rather than succeeded (a contrast effect). Students high in self-certainty, however, reported higher academic self-appraisals following exposure to information about a student who succeeded rather than failed (an assimilation effect). Regardless of the level of self-certainty, participants felt Inspired by the student who succeeded, and they felt discouraged by the student who failed. These results suggest that the effects of social comparison on self-appraisal and affect may sometimes diverge.